Blood in the Shadows

RAISEL’S POV

One Month Later

I crouched in the shadows of the alley, my breath shallow, heart pounding. I was hiding from Davina’s assassins. Heavy footsteps

echoed behind me.

“Search over there!” a man barked.

They swarmed the area. Without a sound, I slid beneath a rickety shed, my pulse thudding so loud I was sure they could hear it.

“Come out, woman!” another voice shouted.

I clamped a trembling hand over my mouth, stifling the scream clawing its way up my throat. Every part of me trembled. I regretted

everything—leaving alone, ignoring Killian and Jace’s warnings to call first, brushing Hazel off when she tried to stop me. My

phone was in my hand, but the screen was black. Dead.

God, help me, I begged silently. Please.

"Did you check all the spots?" one of them asked.

"I did. Nothing."

"Impossible. We saw her run down this alley."

“We can’t fail this mission. If we do—” the man’s voice faltered.

“We have to kill her. Then send the photo to Lady Davina.”

I shivered. Even they were terrified of her. That only made me more afraid. If they feared Davina enough to risk everything, they

wouldn't hesitate to kill me to save themselves.

My stomach clenched with pain. Dizziness washed over me as more footsteps approached. I peered through a small gap.

“Who's there?” a masked man called out.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out. Then another. And another. I swallowed a scream as one by one, the masked men fell.

Silence.

“Raisel, it’s over. You’re safe now,” Roacher’s voice called gently.

I slowly crawled out, limbs weak and shaking. A woman moved beside her, arms open.

“Oh my god, Raisel,” she whispered, wrapping me in a hug. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

I buried my face in her shoulder, too afraid to look at the carnage.

“Let’s get you to a hospital,” she said.

Roacher helped me into the car. The hospital lights blurred, the IV beeping faintly in my ears. I fought to stay awake, even as the

warmth of exhaustion pulled at me.

The doctor was checking my vitals when Jace walked in, his face tight with frustration. Killian stood behind him, unreadable.

“The baby?” I asked.

“Doing fine,” Hazel said softly.

Jace looked straight at me. “What happened?”

I took a deep breath. “I left home after Hazel went down for her nap. Got a call from someone claiming to be the doctor’s office—

said there were complications in my tests and I needed to come in immediately.”

“You didn’t call us,” Jace said sharply.

“I forgot, okay?”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying.”

“Fine! I didn’t want to call. I’m tired of being shadowed everywhere. I thought I could handle it alone,” I admitted, exhaling in frustration.

Killian stepped closer. “What happened next?”

“I noticed a car following me. When it sped up and blocked my path, I managed to injure three of them with the safety gun. I ran. No one helped me. People just… backed away.”

I scanned the room. “Where’s Roacher?”

“She’s handling the cleanup,” Killian said. “Three of the men you shot escaped. She’s tracking them.”

Roacher walked in just then.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “The trap’s already been set.”

She explained they’d checked the hospital—no one from there had called me. It was all a setup. Davina's men were watching me just as much as Mathew’s.

“How did you find me?” I asked as Roacher poured me water.

“Hazel called when she saw you were gone. I had your phone GPS, and I called in a sniper just in case,” she said.

I blinked, trying to process it all. “How will Mathew react when he finds out you killed Davina’s men?”

“He won’t. He’s on leave today,” Roacher replied.

“That’s why Davina struck,” Jace muttered.

“Our people are watching her,” Roacher added.

“Damn,” I breathed. “Where is she getting the money for this?”

“Her illegal operations are keeping her afloat—for now. But Mathew’s already cut off half of them. She’s bleeding resources,”

Killian explained.

When we finally got home, Jace, Killian, and Roacher went their separate ways. Hazel and I walked into the lobby, and I noticed

something strange in our mailbox—a letter. No return name. A UK address.

Hazel narrowed her eyes at the envelope in my hand. “That’s rare. You better open it.”

We rode the elevator in silence. Once inside, I tore open the letter. My name was written across the top.

Hazel hovered behind me. “Do you think it’s from Davina? A warning?”

I unfolded the paper, my hands shaking.

And I read.